


Don't Hurt Him

by KillianJones32



Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: 1x06 Coda, Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Set during and after Rose's party, Tumblr Prompt, mentions of bullying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-09-02 16:58:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8675389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KillianJones32/pseuds/KillianJones32
Summary: “Philip?” Lukas’s voice comes out strained and panicked instead of calm and reassuring, “Philip are you okay? Did they hurt you?”





	

...

Lukas can’t breathe.

Rose’s familiar house is suffocating; the air is humid with the large crowd of people coming and going from each room who laugh easily as they take another swig from their beer bottles as if they haven’t a care in the world.

Was this what he was like?

Before the murders happened, before he caught feelings for a boy, for Philip? Was he just another normal, happy, drunk teenager who also had a passion for motocross?

Lukas watches Rose throw her head back and laugh at something their slightly ditsy friend said and he realises that he doesn’t think he ever was.

Not really, sure he pretended to be but…he never really liked parties much anyway. Not the ones Rose dragged him to.

He likes his friends, they’re cool and they tell him that his motocross moves are ‘sick’ but to be honest he’d rather be at home listening to his own music than standing around listening to this shitty music and whatever cliché catchy song is on the charts this week.

That’s not even the worst of it, none of that even comes close.

Because the one thought that still lingers in his mind no matter how hard he tries to fight it is Philip.

Philip’s brown dull eyes staring back at him across the table today as he confirmed Lukas’s blatant, cruel lies.

Lukas has never seen Philip’s eyes look so cold before and that along with the tiny flicker of pain that passed through Philip’s eyes caused Lukas’s throat to close up and he had genuinely been afraid that he was going to vomit all over Helen’s table before luckily his father announced that they were leaving.

Lukas is still reeling from the shock of Philip lying for him. Philip sat and allowed Lukas to portray him as the villain who pushed him into drugs and forced him to steal from his own dad.

And Lukas knows why Philip did it.

He’s just tired of Lukas’s games, he’s tired of the lies and deception that follows Lukas like a constant shadow and he’s just simply tired of Lukas.

Lukas can’t blame Philip in the slightest…but then why does it still hurt?

He should be happy, he’s got the opportunity of a great sponsorship, he’s got a dad who believes every word he says and as Rose leans her head on his shoulder and laughs loudly in her drunken state, Lukas is suddenly reminded that he has her too.

The conversation that Lukas is barely listening to comes to a startling halt when a loud crash emits from outside.

Rose’s eyes widen in alarm, her hand coming down sharply to drop her beer can on the table.

Seeing an opportunity, Lukas stops her.

“No, let me check it out. If it’s serious I’ll come get you.”

Rose frowns, “If some ignorant boy broke a window I swear-“

Lukas compulsory leaned in and kissed Rose’s forehead quickly.

“I’m sure it was nothing.”

Rose smiles sweetly up at him but Lukas can’t appreciate it because he’s making his own way out of the house as quickly as he can.

The refreshing cool air hits him and Lukas takes in a relaxing deep breath.

The tightening in his stomach was just beginning to loosen when he spotted the source of the previous commotion.

There is a gaggle of boisterous boys who Lukas knows as members of their school’s shitty football team, gathered on the street, staring at the ground while they release booming laughter into the otherwise still night.

Lukas sighs and walks hurriedly down the steps, eager to get this over with as soon as possible but he stops short when he sees the broken pieces of a vodka bottle on the ground beside the car.

No…no it can’t be the same one.

“Hey!” Lukas calls; his voice so loud and commanding that all of the boys’ heads shoot up to look at him, “What did Rose tell you? No breaking anything!” 

One of the boys, Evan or Ethan or something sniggers,

“Ohhhh we didn’t break it Lukas, don’t worry.”

Lukas’s eyebrows draw together and he walks around the car to stand beside them, his feet and heart stopping when he finds what they were looking at.

Leaning against the car and groaning softly, Philip lies with one hand protecting his stomach and the other covering his face. Lukas swallows hard when he sees the scraps of dirt on Philip’s clothes that definitely weren’t there a half hour ago.

Lukas glances at the other boys, lets his eyes run down to their feet and sure enough there’s plenty of muck on all of them that happen to match the stains on Philip’s clothes.

They’ve been kicking him.

“Come on Lukas, we were just showing your stalker here how he should stop what he’s been up to before he gets hurt.”

Lukas whips around to face them, stepping closer to the idiot who just spoke until so in his face that he can smell the disgusting scent of alcohol off his breath.

“I think you’ve hurt him enough actually.” Lukas says in a cold, collected voice.

Another one scoffs, “Since when do you care what happens to him anyway? You were the one punching him and pushing him into lockers a week ago.”

Lukas’s nostrils flare and he wants to hit this kid, this kid who thinks he has any right to judge him, any right to hurt Philip the way they have.

Lukas fucked up by hitting Philip and he knows that better than anyone but what these guys did was more than one stupid punch. He wants to knock all of their lights out for what they’ve done and he’s on the edge of doing it when Philip whimpers from the ground behind him.

It’s completely different from the soft, arousing whimpers that Lukas as heard come from Philip’s lips before. No this is a torturing, weak sound that somehow makes Lukas even angrier yet erases any feeling in his mind except for pure worry.

Lukas turns away from the gang, knowing if he stares at their pathetic faces any longer, one of them will end up with a bloody nose or a black eye and then he drops to his knees beside Philip.

“I advise you get out of here.“ Lukas says, his words directed at the boys behind him “Now.” 

“Come on Lukas-“

“Yeah man it was just-“

“You don’t serious give a damn-“

Lukas clenches his fists, “I said go. No!”

Finally after some grumbling, the bullies leave them be but Lukas is still shaking with anger until their rambunctious laughter and chatter finally ceases when they walk around the corner to the next street.

Only then does Lukas let himself go and fully concentrate on Philip.

Desperately bringing his hands up to Philip’s face, Lukas pries Philip’s hand away from his eyes as gently as he can.

Philip murmurs an incoherent protest but Lukas lets out a chocked sigh of relief when he sees that neither of Philip’s eyes are damaged. In fact his face is still as pristine as always….except for the distinctive red tinge around his eyes and the dried tear tracks on his cheek.

Lukas feels a sharp pain stab his chest because he knows that he caused this. This is all his fault.

“Philip?” Lukas’s voice comes out strained and panicked instead of calm and reassuring, “Philip are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“M’fine” Philip slurs under his breath.

Lukas cringes. Philip is definitely the opposite of fine.

“Philip they-“

Philip brings his arm down and tightens both of them around his own waist, “’Had a lot worse don’ to me.”

Lukas feels like he’s going to go throw up again. Philip’s words cut through him like a knife and the thought of anyone hurting him makes him even more nauseous. The insufferable stench of vodka isn’t helping either.

“Philip…I….”

“Don’ worry abou’ me Lukas, okay?” Philip tries to smile but his eyes show nothing but pain and overwhelming exhaustion.

Lukas opens his mouth to apologise, to tell Philip that he’ll always worry about him but that’s when Philip weakly slumps against him.

Lukas’s eyes widen in fear and he gently pats Philip’s cheeks.

“Philip? Philip come on let’s get you home alright?”

Philip mumbles something but it’s more sounds than actual words.

“Shit” Lukas mutters under his breath, “Philip, stay awake for me okay?”

Lukas can feel Philip shake his head as he buries his face further into Lukas’s neck.

Lukas swallows and wraps an arm under Philip so that he’s bracing his back.

“I’m lifting you now okay? I’m gonna bring you home.”

Philip doesn’t reply or maybe he simply can’t and Lukas can’t even think about that right now.

He doesn’t know what to do; he doesn’t know how to help Philip. Whenever he’s around dangerously drunk people, he’s usually drunk himself so it doesn’t matter.

But this is different, one because Lukas is practically sober and two because this is Philip and Philip matters.

Lukas stands, gingerly helping Philip to his feet too. Philip moans and clings to Lukas’s shirt like a lifeline.

“Don’t” Philip gasps

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t take me home.”

Lukas sighs, “Philip it’s-“

“Not my home anymor’”

Lukas frowns, “What do you mean?”

Philip opens his mouth but soon closes it and simply shakes his head.

Lukas shuts his eyes and tries to focus. It’s pretty late and Philip can’t even stand without his feeble arms gripping onto his shirt, if Lukas brings him home on his bike right now, Philip would likely slip off the back of it.

Suddenly, Lukas’s brain shuts down when he feels Philip nuzzle his neck and whisper,

“Can’t we just stay here?”

“No” Lukas replies immediately and it’s not because he doesn’t want to be seen with Philip, it’s not because he’s worried what Rose would say if she saw them together, instead it’s because Lukas knows that if someone tries to hurt Philip again he won’t be able to restrain himself from punching their lights out.

“No” he repeats “Come on; let’s…walk for a bit.”

Philip’s response is lost in Lukas’s neck but his feet follow as best they can along with Lukas’s, mostly because Lukas is half dragging him but still.

They only make it around the corner (the opposite of the one that those bullies took) but Lukas is comfortable with the distance as he can’t hear the throbbing music from Rose’s house anymore, so he settles Philip down on a secluded bench underneath some trees.

Philip smiles droopily and Lukas swallows because this is just the alcohol playing with Philip’s mind. He knows that the feelings Philip truly feels toward Lukas right now are anger, resentment and betrayal.

And Lukas deserves all of it.

Lukas deserves to be the one hit and kicked and laughed at, he’s the one who has hurt people, and he’s the one lying to everyone, to his dad, to Rose, even to Philip.

He hates it, he hates that he’s like this…but he just can’t stop.

“Come ’ere” Philip mumbles

The second Lukas sits on the bench; Philip scoots closer so their shoulders are touching.

“I-“ Lukas starts to try and form an apology, an explanation or something just to break the silence but Philip interrupts him,

“No, shush.”

“But-“

Philip slumps against Lukas again and Lukas instinctively wraps an arm around his shoulders. 

“Are you-?”

“M’fine. Jus’ tired.”

“Oh…okay”

Lukas doesn’t know what else to say and luckily enough Philip seems too tired or too drunk to continue anyway.

The air is cool against Lukas’s skin and he’s grateful that he wore his jacket. The only sound in the air is the distant sound of crickets and Philip’s steady breathing against his neck. The atmosphere is strangely comforting and Lukas lets his eyes fall closed for a moment to take it all in.

Only it wasn’t just for a moment and the next time Lukas opens his eyes, the sky is a paler shade of blue and the sun is beginning to rise through the trees.

Lukas’s tired eyes fly open and he bolts into an upright position, causing half-asleep Philip to murmur a vague complaint into his neck.

“Philip?” Lukas whispers, nudging the other boy as gently but forcefully as he can, “Philip wake up.”

The noises Philip makes are argumentative and Lukas grits his teeth.

“Philip, come on. We need to go.” 

Philip looks at Lukas through the slits of his eyes and Lukas feels that dart of pain in his stomach again; Philip looks almost worse than he did last night.

Lukas wants to comfort him, hold him, make him warm soup or give him water until he feels better.

He wants to give Philip everything because that’s what Philip deserves.

But he can’t and he’s pretty sure that Philip won’t want anything to do with him when he’s sober anyway.

That thought hurts much more than it’s supposed to.

Lukas shakes his head in a vain attempt to rid his mind of the berating thoughts swirling continuously in his head and he stands.

“Alright” He mutters “I’ll bring you home myself then.”

Lukas half walks, half carries Philip back to Rose’s house, once there he somehow manages to get a frail Philip onto his motorbike. He leaves Philip alone for a second to quietly retrieve the two helmets hidden in the garage while praying to God that Rose doesn’t see him.

Then in the blink on an eye he puts his own helmet on and then Philip’s before he gets on the bike too.

“Philip?”

“Yeah?” Philip answers softly.

“Hold onto me okay.”

Philip’s arms don’t move from his own side.

Lukas groans, “Philip.”

Finally Philip’s arms wrap around Lukas’s waist and his fingers interlock at his stomach.

Lukas tries not to dwell on the feeling of Philip’s body pressing against him as he turns the key in the ignition and almost immediately after, speeds off into the upcoming sunlight.

Fifteen minutes later, he’s dropping Philip on his porch as gently as he can. Guilt swarms in Lukas’s chest but he doesn’t know what to do, he can’t knock on the door, he doesn’t have an explanation for Gabe and Helen so this is his only option.

“I-I’m sorry Philip” Lukas breathes honestly because if he can’t tell the truth now than when can he? “I didn’t mean any of it.”

Philip opens his mouth briefly as if he’s going to say something but Lukas doesn’t stay long enough to hear it. Lukas has a second of weakness where he brushes Philip’s hair back from his eyes before he stands and sprints towards his motorbike.

As he drives away, he can hear the sound of Philip’s front door crashing open behind him and he knows Gabe and Helen are taking care of him now.

Hopefully they’ll do a better job of it than Lukas did.

Lukas takes the long root home and as he drives farther and farther from Philip, the pain in Lukas’s stomach just continues to grow and grow and grow…

...

**Author's Note:**

> [x](http://jamesxlilyxpotter.tumblr.com)


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